Horace b



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE B. MADDEN, OF NEWARK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES B. THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

CHECKRElN-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,357, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed May 2, 1890. Serial No. 350,340. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE B. MADDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Oheckrein-Hook, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to checkreinhooks; and the objects of the invention are to provide a hook adapted to facilitate the en gagement and locking of the checkrein and so constructed as to prevent the horse from unreining himself by any movements of his head; furthermore, to provide for the practice of my invention or its application to the sad:

dles of the ordinary construction.

Various other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a saddle having a checkrein-hook constructed in accordance with my invention mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of the hook-securing plate. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the hook. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the hook and plate.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 represents an ordinary harness-saddle, upon which is secured the usual checkreinsaddle 2 in any ordinary manner. To the front end of the checkrein-saddle 2 there is secured the checkrein-securing plate 3. This plate 3 is provided at its front end with a pair of upwardly-disposed and rearwardlycurved ears or lugs 4, located at a slight distance apart and forming an intermediate space 5. The upper face of the plate is provided with alongitudinally-disposed recess 6, and in said recess there is located a fiat spring 7. The spring 7 and the plate at their rear ends are perforated in line with each other, and through the same passes a binding-bolt 8, which may, if desired, also extend down through the harness-saddle and checkreinsaddle, whereby these elements may all be snugly secured in position.

9 represents the checkrein-hook, and the same is in the 'form of a compound curve, terminating at one end in the curved-lever portion 10 and at its opposite end in the downwardly-curved portion 11. A chcokreinhook is located in the space 5, and is pivoted between the cars by means of a pivot-pin 12, which passes through the ears and the hook, as shown. The construction and manner of mounting the hook is such that when the lever portion 10 is closed down upon the securing-plate 3 the inner edge of the curved portion 11 is slightly in rear of the inner edges of the rearwardly-curved ears or lugs 4. The lower end of the hook 9 is squared, as at 13, and against the same bears the free end of the flat spring 7, so that said hook is prevented from being swung to the front accidentally, and thus elevating-and freeing the checkrein.

14 represents the checkrein, and to insert the same the lever 10 is swung over and to the front, so that the rear end of the rein lies upon the curved or hook portion 11 of the hook 9. It now simply remains to grasp the free end 10 of the lever and to swing the same rearwardly to a closed position upon the se curing-plate, the spring yielding and permitting the corners of the squared end of the hook portion 11 to pass thereover. In this movement of the lever it will be apparent that the same performs the functions of a lever and serves to draw the checkrein taut and deliver the same in rear of the lugs 4, the hook portion 11 retreating between the lugs and in rear of the same, so that the draft of the checkrein is not thrown upon the hook, but simply upon the lugs 4. Such a construction avoids the usual pulling necessary to raise the horses head and introduce the strap over the hook. To release the rein it is simply necessary to raise the lever and swing the same to the front, the hook portion 11 taking under the strap and elevating the same over the lugs 4, so that no exertion is required in this operation. It is apparent that the checkrein may be connected with the hook in the dark, there being no narrow slots or openings to feel for in order to introduce the reins, and that the operation may be carried on with the utmost dispatch.

It will be observed that my invention may be readily applied to checkrein-saddles employing the ordinary rigid hook, to accomplish which it is simply necessary to remove the old hook and apply my invention, the rivet or bolt 8 securing the two together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The herein-described checkrein-holder, the same consisting of the saddle, the removable securing-plate or base 3, mounted thereon and terminating at its front end in the pair of opposite upwardly-disposed lugs 4, and further provided upon its upper face with a longitudinally disposed recess, a curved checkrein-lever pivoted at its curved portion between the lugs and having its inner lower end squared, and when said lever is closed located in rear of the front edges of the lugs, a flat spring mounted in the recess and terminating at its front free end against the square end of the lever, and a bolt or rivet passed through the rear end of the spring and securing-plate 3 and through the checkrein-saddle, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HORACE B. MADDEN.

Witnesses:

BERT STONE, W. D. FULTON. 

